Under The Water
by HolidayTomorrow
Summary: Bikini Bottom is thrust into a state of paranoia and fear as citizens are being murdered by a serial killer, prompting regular citizens and officers of the law to hunt down and bring the fiend to justice before it's too late!
1. Prologue: The Fourth Time

_**Prologue: The Fourth Time**_

_**AN:**_ Well it's October! And that means it's time for scary stories! Yay! Read and Review, ya'll!

_**Barg N Mart, Bikini Bottom**_  
_**June 8th**_  
_**2:38 AM**_

Adam Hays sighed as he placed the last jar of mayonnaise onto the shelf, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. The tan fish with white stripes, blue eyes and light blonde hair glanced at his watch and cheered.

_'It's bout damn time!' _he thought.

Adam quickly hurried into the back of the store, entering the storage area and passing all of the goods that the rest of the overnight employees had to unload and stock until he reached the employee lounge. Two fish; one orange with a thick brown mustache and messy brown hair sticking out from a faded CLAMS: THE MOVIE! cap and the other one, a brown fish with balding hair and recently shaved face, were seated at the small brown table. Two cups of coffee were seated between the two of them as they were playing cards.

"Hey, Murphy, Ben." said Adam. "Who's winning?"

"Me, of course." said Murphy as he adjusted his hat. "Damn, kid! You still here?!"

"No, I'm about to leave." said Adam. "This is the first and last time that I'm doing an overnight shift. I don't know how you guys do this every night."

Ben snorted. "Try doing this shit every goddamn night for thirteen years and then come bitch to me."

Adam chuckled as he walked over to his locker and opened it, grabbing his brown backpack and water bottle before closing it behind him. "Well, it's been fun, but I'm dead tired and will see you fine gentlemen later."

The two men waved as Adam exited the lounge and returned to the front of the store. "Night, Colleen. See you on Tuesday."

His boss, a light blue fish, waved at him from behind one of the registers. "See you, Hays. Get home safe! Tell your folks I said hi!"

"Will do.'' said Adam as he left the store.

* * *

Lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the loud rumble of thunder as the storm continued to rage on as Adam pulled his boat up to the stoplight. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he awaited for the light to turn green.

_'I'm so tired!' _he thought. 'Just this light and I'm home free.'

Adam turned up the rock song that was playing on the radio. As he began to hum along to the tune, a blinding light suddenly engulfed his boat, followed by the something hitting the rear of his boat.

_'You gotta be fucking kidding me!' _he thought bitterly. _'Just what I need!'_

Adam unbuckled himself before he hopped out of his boat, the rain drenching him instantly. He held his fins up in an attempt to block out the bright headlights of the vehicle behind him.

"Hey, asshole! Turn off your goddamn lights!" he shouted. "Hey, I'm talking to you, prick!"

No reply.

Adam huffed in annoyance as he stomped his way through the light, being greeted with the sight of a large black van. He walked up to the driver's window and banged on it angrily.

"Asshole, turn off your li-"

There was no one in the driver's seat. Or the passenger seat for that matter. Adam opened the door and peeked inside the van, finding it empty. Completely void of life. He then twisted the key in the ignition and turned the van off. An eerie silence with the exception of the rain and Adam's boat engine fell around the teenage fish.

"Hello?" called Adam. "Hello?!"

No reply.

Adam shook head. "I must be losing my mind."

He turned around and shouted in surprise as a person suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The person was slightly taller than Adam, wearing a black rain poncho. The hood was up, preventing the teen from seeing their face.

"Jesus, you scared the shit outta me!" exclaimed Adam. "What the hell are you doing standing in the middle of the rain? Is this your van?"

The person remained motionless and silent. Adam rolled his eyes. 'Probably drunk. I'm so not in the mood for this bullshit. I'm tired and wanna get to bed!'

"Look, man, I asked you a quest-"

The person lunged at Adam, knocking him off his feet and tackling him to the ground. Adam thrashed violently back and forth, swinging his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to get the drunken man off him.

"What the fuck?! Get off me!" he exclaimed.

The person ignored the punches to the chest and sides along with the teen's demand. A hand covered by a white glove reached into the poncho and retrieved a large hunting knife. Adam's eyes lit up in absolute fear and terror.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" screamed Adam. "HELP!"

The poncho figure swung a hand down with force, plunging the knife into Adam's chest, then pulling it out before repeating the motion once.

Twice.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

The poncho figure stopped after six. Heavy breathing was heard as the killer stared into dying eyes of Adam Hays.

Confusion. Anger. Sadness. That was what was displayed in the teen's eyes as his breathing was quickly slowing poured from the six deep stab wounds and unto the wet asphalt. The killer moved closer to Adam's ear and gently whispered into it.

"The world forgives you, Adam Hays."

The killer then raised the knife and the stabbing resumed until the number of stab wounds reached twenty-seven. The killer slowly got up from the body and gently placed the knife onto Adam's dead body, then casually took the pair of white gloves off and tossed them into the blood puddle forming around Adam. The thunder rumbled again as the killer hopped onto the sidewalk and began to hum a cherry tune while a deranged mind was thinking about who would be the next person to die.


	2. Chapter 1: The Investigation

**Chapter One: The Investigation**

**AN: Thanks for the feedback so far and I hope that you're enjoying the story!**

**June 8****th****  
3:30 am**

Detective Jared Mitchell rubbed his tired eyes as he pulled his boat up behind the parked police cruiser and turned off the engine. The light red fish exited his vehicle and grumbled as the rain began to soak him. Mitchell was of average height, with brown wavy hair and light purple eyes. He wore a black shirt under his usual brown leather jacket, dark grey jeans and athletic sneakers. He adjusted his jacket and walked over towards the middle of the street, where several officers and CSI's were moving around. Yellow tape with the words, CRIME SCENE, DO NOT ENTER, were surrounding the area around the two vehicles; a boat and a van.

"Yo, Mitchell!" called a familiar voice.

Mitchell spotted his new partner, a sponge named Naomi Bowen, approaching him. Naomi was tall, with light green skin, long black hair and light blue eyes. Her outfit of a white dress shirt and black jeans were less wet due to her large umbrella.

Naomi held out her hand and Mitchell saw that she had another umbrella for him. He quickly took it and opened it.

"Thanks, Naomi." Said Mitchell. "Now, what do we got?"

"Received an anonymous call about a stabbing at 3:20 am." Naomi explained. "Officers Walter Giles and Larry Keller responded within a few minutes. They come across two empty vehicles and a dead body."

An officer lifted the yellow tape for the two detectives as they walked over to the body; covered by a white sheet.

"Victim's name is Adam Hays. Age 17. Driver's license says that he lives at 59 SW Reef Street.'' Said Naomi. "It looks like the boat belongs to him."

Mitchell nodded. "What about the van? How does it fit?"

"Unclear." Said Naomi. "We're running the license plate through the DMV. We should get a hit soon."

Mitchell sighed before he rubbed his eyes again. "Alright, let me see the body."

The two of them crouched down and then Naomi gently removed the sheet from the body. Mitchell's grey eyes moved over every inch of the body; the horrific state of the teenager was sure to haunt the veteran detective's dreams later. After two minutes of silently examining the body, the middle-aged man spoke.

"Jesus fucking Christ." He mumbled.

Naomi sighed. "I said the exact same thing. The asshole left behind a pair of gloves and the murder weapon."

"Really?'' asked Mitchell.

Naomi nodded. "It's weird, like either the killer didn't have enough time to get rid of the evidence, or-"

"He wanted us to find it." Said Mitchell. "Just look what he did to this kid. This…Jesus, Naomi, this is fucking overkill. This is rage. You don't do this to some random person."

"So, your implying that the killer knew this kid?" questioned Naomi.

"He had to." Said Mitchell plainly.

"How do you know?" asked Naomi as she recovered the body. "This person is obviously sick and deranged. This killing could just be random- "

"No, its not." Said Mitchell firmly. "This wasn't random. This was planned. Trust me, Naomi."

He then stood up and begin to look around. He spotted a few streetlights about fifteen feet from each other. The nearest building was a pharmacy at the other end of this block, so the surveillance cameras around the pharmacy wouldn't be able to of seen anything this far away.

But since Hays was coming in this direction, he would've had to pass the pharmacy. The van too.

'_I'll file that down for later.' _thought Mitchell.

Naomi's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "The rain probably washed away some DNA from the gloves and knife, but I'm going to send it to the lab, anyway. Maybe we'll get luck.

"Mm-hmm." Mumbled Mitchell.

'_Why leave the murder weapon and the gloves? It's an unnecessary risk. Why this kid?'_

"Naomi, did you find anything in Hays' wallet?"

"Yeah, his driver's license, car insurance card, about $400 dollars and his student ID." Said Naomi.

Mitchell sighed. "Okay, so we can rule out robbery as a motive. And you said that the caller was anonymous?"

"Yeah, why?"

'_You probably called, didn't you, you son of a bitch!'_

"Mitchell? You okay?'' asked Naomi. "You have this intense look on your face and- "

"Sorry." Said Mitchell. "It's been awhile since I've worked a murder and this is the first time that I've had a teenager as the murder victim."

"Oh." Said Naomi softly. "This, um… this is my first murder case."

Mitchell put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't get any easier, I'll you that from experience. But the sooner we catch this prick, the better."

Naomi nodded. "Um, I forgot to mention, the captain and a few officers have notified the parents and are with them at their residence. I have the address."

Mitchell sighed. "Well, let's go and have a word with them. Brace yourself, cause it's not going to be easy."

* * *

**Hays Residence  
3:35 am**

Naomi felt a lump in her throat, like she couldn't breathe. Mitchell gently moved her over to his car and whispered to her, "If you want to stay back, I'll understand."

"No.'' said Naomi. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I'm fine, I- "

"NOOOO! NOT MY BABY! OH GOD, NO!" cried Mrs. Hays from inside the house.

"Are you sure?" asked Mitchell. "It's perfectly fine- "

"Mitchell, I'm sticking by your side no matter what." Said Naomi confidently. "I can handle this."

The two detectives then slowly walked up the driveway and made it to the front door. Before they could knock, the door opened and a tall light purple fish with blue dots, black spiked hair, a thick black mustache and neon green eyes stood before the two. The fish was wearing a casual black dress shirt and tan pants.

"Captain Browning, sir." Acknowledged Naomi.

"Cap." Casually greeted Mitchell.

Captain Sebastian Browning nodded at the two. "Mitchell, Bowen. I would say that it's nice to see you, but- "

"Yeah, we know." Said Mitchell. "Why don't you return to the station? I think we got it from here."

Captain Browning sighed. "Yeah. I have to meet with the Mayor about handling the media. He doesn't want to cause a panic. I'll see you two later. Keep me posted about any developments."

The two moved aside, allowing for the captain to pass before they entered the house. Mrs. Hays was sobbing loudly into her husband's chest. Mr. Hays was rubbing her back soothingly, but in reality, he was barely holding it together himself. His eyes were red from crying.

Mitchell and Naomi stood there for a few moments, allowing for the parents' grief to wash over them. Naomi, only recently being promoted to Detective about four months ago, never had the experience of chatting with the family of the deceased before. She'd been to quite a few funerals as a kid, but it was always a family friend who had passed away, and it was because of normal circumstances.

Mr. Hays had whispered something to Mrs. Hays. The two then stood up and exited the room, with Mr. Hays returning a few minutes later. He motioned for the detectives to sit down on the sofa while he sat in a faded pink recliner.

Mitchell cleared his throat. "Mr. Hays, I'm Detective Jared Mitchell and this is my partner, Naomi Bowen. We're the detectives assigned to your son's case. I just to start off by saying that I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you're going through."

Mr. Hays wiped his eye. "Thank you, Detective. I…I just keep saying to myself, 'This is just a bad dream. I'll wake up soon and I'll hear Adam playing his video games or chatting with his friends', but I can't keep lying to myself. My…my boy is gone."

Naomi pushed back tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Mr. Hays, do you know what Adam was doing out this late at night?"

Mr. Hays blew his nose into a tissue, then sighed. "I remember him saying that he had switched shifts with one of his co-workers, so that he could go on a date in the afternoon."

Naomi withdrew a small notepad and began to take notes. "Where did he work?"

"At the Barg -N- Mart."

"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt Adam?" asked Mitchell.

"No.'' said Mr. Hays firmly. "Adam was one of the nicest people in town. Everyone loved him."

Naomi scribbled down some more notes. She glanced up from her notepad. "Where did Adam go to school?"

"He went to Oceanic Reefs High. It's about four blocks from the Krusty Krab." Said Mr. Hays.

Mitchell nodded. "Do you mind if we can inspect his room really quick?"

Mr. Hays nodded and then stood up from his seat with the two following him down a hallway. Pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Hays with their son decorated the hallway. One picture showed the three of them at the Krusty Krab, posing with a yellow sponge with an apron on and a red crab holding a stack of money.

"Here we are." Said Mr. Hays. "Take what you need, Detectives. Whatever you need to find the…the…animal responsible for taking my son's life."

"Thank you." Said Mitchell. "We'll be out of your hair as quickly as possible."

Mr. Hays then left the two alone in the room. Mitchell reached into his pocket and took out a pair of light blue gloves; Naomi mirroring her partner.

Adam's room was very tidy. His bed was made and not a single article of clothing was found on the ground. A computer desk sat against the foot of his bed with a bright red computer resting on it. On his dresser was pictures of Adam hanging out with other teenagers at various places; Goo Lagoon, Downtown, The Sea Needle, The Kelp Forest and The Krusty Krab.

Naomi opened up the closet and began to rummage through clothes, old trophies and a few hidden adult magazines.

"Nothing other here." Said Naomi.

Mitchell was underneath Adam's bed, pushing aside a few old gaming consoles and playing cards. "Nothing here, either."

He crawled back from under the bed and Naomi helped him up. The two cast one more glance around the deceased teenager's room before they left, carefully closing the door behind them.

* * *

**Bikini Bottom Police Department  
3:56 am**

Mitchell sat at his desk, stirring more sugar into his cup of coffee while Naomi was chatting with someone on her cell phone. He took a sip and sighed as he felt the hot steaming beverage enter his body. God, he sometimes hated his job. Mitchell had been a cop for twenty-five years and it had taken its toll on him; both physically and mentally. The stuff he's seen on the job was sure to haunt anyone, no matter how hardened they were.

"Yeah, I'll probably won't see you when I come home." Said Naomi. "Yeah, I will be. I love you, too."

She hung up her phone and Mitchell noticed the blush creeping onto her face.

"Boyfriend?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, he was just making sure that I was okay."

Mitchell nodded. "So, what do you make of this case?"

Naomi rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "Well, for starters, I think that the killer wants his or her presence to be known. I mean, they left the murder weapon and a pair of bloody gloves on the victim's body. And I'm pretty sure that it was the killer who called us."

"I agree." Said Mitchell. "I still stand by what I said. The killer had to have known Adam. The numerous blows to the body, then just leaving the weapon on top of his body, gloves included…it was like Adam was just a piece of trash."

"I don't know.'' Said Naomi as she yawned. "We should hear from the lab soon. Hopefully they were able to pull a print or match off the knife, gloves or the van."

"Speaking of which- "began Mitchell.

"The van is registered to one Jacinta Derbez of New Ocean Springs." Said Naomi. "She reported the van stolen about two weeks ago to NOSPD."

Mitchell put his coffee down and glanced at his partner. "And you don't find that strange?"

Naomi shrugged. "Maybe the killer just needed a ride?"

"Yeah, but why not steal a vehicle here in Bikini Bottom? Why go to another town thousands of miles from here and steal a van?" asked Mitchell.

Naomi yawned, then checked her watch. "Maybe to avoid suspicion? Bikini Bottom isn't a massive city. A stolen car, especially a van, would be noticed by at least someone. Especially since the mayor had hundreds of brand new state of the art surveillance cameras installed all around the city."

'_Yeah. All those cameras and they didn't see who butchered this poor kid.' _Mitchell thought bitterly.

He took another sip of his coffee and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet onto his desk. "It's too early for this shit." He grumbled.

Naomi couldn't help but chuckle. "I thought that you were going to say that you were too old for this shit."

"I _am _too old for this shit." Said Mitchell. "Enjoy being young while you can."

"Mitchell, you're only forty-five." Said Naomi.

"Yeah, and my life is shitty." Said Mitchell. "I'm getting divorced for the third time. I have two kids that I don't get to see and an alcoholic older brother who blames me for everything bad happening in his life. The only people I hang out with is you and the criminals that we chase."

Silence fell between the two, except for the steady ticking of Naomi's watch. Mitchell closed his eyes and tried to relax. Naomi turned on her computer and began to open up her notes when her cell phone rang. She quickly answered it. "Bowen. Hey, Pete. Yeah, we'll be there in a sec."

Mitchell sat up, taking his feet off his desk. "Pete's ready for us?"

Naomi nodded. "Yup. Hopefully he's got some good news for us.''

* * *

"So," began Pete Crawford. "I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you guys want?"

"The bad news first, please." Said Naomi.

The tall shrimp adjusted his black glasses. "The knife and the van came back negative for prints. I also tried to access the CCTV system, but it's down right now. I guess due to the storm. I'll try again later."

"Of course." Grumbled Mitchell. "And the good news?"

"I was able to pull some DNA from the gloves and I've got a match."

Mitchell and Naomi's eyes lit up. "Really?!" exclaimed Naomi.

"Really. I ran the DNA from a few databases and it matches one Dominick Yates. Yates was recently released from a 28 year prison sentence for possession of marijuana and intent to sell, assaulting an officer, illegal possession of a firearm, assault and battery and violation of parole."

Naomi whistled. "Wow. Dude's got one hell of a rap sheet."

"No shit." Said Mitchell. "You got an address?"

Pete nodded. "Yes, sir. Yates lives at 23 Maple Palm Apartments, which is on 43 NW Cone St. Apartment #40 A."

Mitchell took out his keys and glanced at Naomi, a determined look on his face.

"Ready, partner?"

* * *

**23 Maple Palm Apartments**  
**4:10 am**

The rain continued to fall, slowly turning into a downpour as Mitchell's boat pulled up into the parking lot of the Maple Palm Apartments. Mitchell and Naomi checked their weapons before they exited the vehicle. The duo then proceeded into the apartment complex, moving swiftly to escape the rain. The two of them were wearing a black bulletproof vest with the initials **BBPD **written in white letters.

"You okay?" asked Mitchell.

"So far." Said Naomi. "Just feeling a little on edge."

"That's normal." Said Mitchell reassuring. "Feeling on edge keeps you alive. Trust me."

Naomi chuckled. "You're the vet. I'm the rookie."

The two soon reached Apartment #40 and spotted two officers along with the manager of the building; a old man with balding grey hair and wrinkled light blue skin.

"Anything?" asked Mitchell.

"No, sir." Said one of the officers. "We've knocked for about five minutes, but no answer. The manager has the master key."

"And I said that I'm not opening this apartment until you tell me what the fuck is going on, goddammit!" the old man snapped. "I have a right! This is my building!"

Mitchell opened his mouth to speak, but Naomi spoke first. "Sir, we have reason to believe that the owner of this apartment has dangerous materials and we need to speak to him."

"Who? Yates?! He's harmless!" exclaimed the old man. "He's the only person in this goddamn building who pays his rent on time!"

Mitchell glared at the old man, who then reached into his pocket and took out the master key. He placed it into Naomi's hand. She smiled at the old man, then walked over to the door and gently unlocked the door. She passed the old man the key, then stepped back as Mitchell took the lead. He raised his gun before he quietly pushed the door open and entered the apartment living room, with Naomi and one of the officers following behind. Naomi flipped the light switch, allowing them to see.

The living room was a mess. Several empty boxes of pizza and bags from the Krusty Krab were scattered all over the stained brown couch. On the coffee table in front of the couch was a large white platter full of marijuana and small sandwich baggies. A gun rested next to the platter.

"Dominick Yates, police!" shouted Mitchell. "Come out with your hands up!"

No reply.

Mitchell tightened his grip on his pistol as he slowly approached the bedroom while Naomi was at the bathroom door. Both of them simultaneously grabbed the door handles and twisted it, opening the door.

"MITCHELL!" shouted Naomi. "OVER HERE! WE GOT A BODY!"

Mitchell quickly spun around and followed his partner's voice. She moved away from the bathroom, coughing violently and holding a hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong?!" asked Mitchell.

Naomi just pointed towards the half closed door, still coughing. Mitchell slowly approached the door and pushed it open, instantly regretting it.

Inside was Dominick Yates, sitting in a bathtub full of filthy water, dead. The light brown fish had his mouth wide open, full of flies and maggots. His eyes were gone, two empty holes in it's place. In the middle of his forehead was a single small bullet hole.

Mitchell backed away from the bathroom and coughed, the smell from the dead body filling his nostrils.

"Goddammit!" he exclaimed. "Jesus Ch-"

His eyes then spotted something above the dead body. On the tiled wall, written in dried blood was six words.

'The World Forgives You, Dominick Yates.'

**AN: Read and Review! Also, Spongebob and the others will be making their debut in the next chapter! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 2: The News Gets Out

_**Chapter Two: The News Gets Out**_

**A/N: Ugh. It's about 2:00 am and I'm in the hospital getting stabbed with needles and being interrogated by doctors and nurses! So, to pass the time, I wrote this. Enjoy! Also, I will be posting something for Age of Darkness and Spirit Of Lies really soon, so be on the lookout for that!  
**

* * *

**Location Unknown  
5:30 am**

The soft sound of jazz music was in the air as the lone figure stood at the punching bag, delivering swift powerful jabs to the black bag. The person was slightly taller than the average person, about 5'9. The person was a woman in her late twenties. She had light pink scaled skin, short spiked black hair and white pale eyes. A large scar was located on the side of her temple that led down to her neck. The woman was wearing a black tank top that revealed toned arms, abs and a nice ample chest. Her dark blue shorts showed off toned legs that were covered in burn marks and scars.

The woman delivered a hard-right hook to the bag before swiftly kicking it with her left leg twice. She moved closer and kneed it twice before headbutting it. Taking a step back, the woman punched the bag with a quick barrage of punches that were quickly bruising her hands.

'_You can't hide who you are, freak.'_

"Shut up.'' Muttered the woman. "You're not here."

'_You are disgusting, freak. Trying to sell your body to that filthy beast.'_

Heavy breathing. "Shut your fucking mouth!" she snapped.

'_Why would anyone want anything to do with a pathetic, weak-minded, coward like you, freak?'_

"SHUT UP!"

The woman ran and kicked the bag with all her might, breaking the chain from the ceiling and sending the bag flying across the gym. She then advanced on the bag and began to punch it, over and over until it punctured, causing the sand to spill out of the bag.

The woman fell to the ground, panting as she glanced at her trembling hands. She then closed her eyes and began to count slowly.

"One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen…"

'_How many more people have suffer because you couldn't take a joke, freak?'_

The woman placed her bruised hands over her ears and said, "Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

The woman's breathing became labored as she quickly got up and ran over to a black gym bag in the corner of the room. She opened the bag and took out a pistol. A few tears fell from her eyes as she placed the barrel of the gun in her mouth.

'_You're not gonna pull the trigger, freak. Cause if you do, you'll let him down.'_

The woman let out a frustrated cry as she removed the barrel from her mouth and fired several rounds into the wall. She then threw the pistol across the room, hitting the punching bag.

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"

'_Make me, freak! Prove to me that you're not a weakling!'_

The woman sprinted over to the punching bag and grabbed the pistol again. She then aimed the pistol at the punching bag and fired a few more times before a clicking sound was heard. Her eyes glanced around the gym room several times before she sighed in relief.

"Fuck." She mumbled.

Her eyes fell upon the clock on the wall. She groaned before she walked over to her gym bag, placing her gun in it. She zipped up the bag and placed the strap over shoulder as she left the room, making sure to turn off the light switch behind her.

'_By the way, how come you didn't take Hays' eyes, freak? He doesn't get to keep them!'_

The woman huffed in annoyance. "I didn't feel like it, okay? Besides, you still haven't told be why we're collecting them!"

'_How many times do I have to explain, freak? I issue the commands; you carry them out.'_

"Go to fucking hell!" she snapped. "I make my own decisions! You do not control me!"

'_Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, freak. Just make sure you're ready for tonight.'_

The woman ignored the voice as she made a right, walking down a darkened hallway until she reached a brightly lit kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, gulping down the icy contents in seconds. She closed the fridge and sighed.

'_Time for a shower.' _She thought.

* * *

**23 Maple Palm Apartments  
6:00 am**

"Giles, Keller, get these people back now!" barked Captain Browning.

The police captain stood in the parking lot, where a massive crowd of reporters and bystanders were blocking the coroner's van. Several police officers were attempting to push the crowd back.

"Was there another murder, Captain Browning?" asked one reporter.  
"Is this the beginning of a murder spree?" asked another reporter.

"Hey, you heard the man!" shouted Officer Keller. "Get back! This is an active crime scene! Get back now!"

Inside Yates' apartment, Mitchell and Naomi stood in the living room while Peter Crawford and several other CSI's were searching the apartment. Naomi's face looked pale as her eyes kept glancing in the direction of the bathroom. Her hands were starting to shake, and her breathing was uneasy. She closed her eyes and started to take some slow, deep breaths. She opened her eyes as Mitchell gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay? He asked.

Naomi scoffed. "What the hell do you think? I've just discovered a dead man with his eyes gone in a bathtub!"

"Whoa, take it easy!" exclaimed Mitchell. "I was just- "

"I need some air." Said Naomi. She then turned on her heel and left the apartment, shoving past Captain Browning. Mitchell groaned and rubbed his neck.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Captain Browning.

"It's her first murder case, sir." Said Mitchell. "She's seeing all of this for the first time."

Captain Browning nodded. "Will she be alright?"

Mitchell sighed. "I don't really know. I mean, we've just discovered two dead bodies within two hours; both victims left in a gruesome state and we're left with more questions than answers."

"Yeah, and it's not even fucking eight yet." Grumbled Captain Browning. "It doesn't help that the press is outside demanding answers."

'_Great.'_ Thought Mitchell bitterly. _'Last thing we need.'_

"Send Bowen home, Mitchell." Said the captain. "Let her get some rest."

Mitchell shot the police captain a look. "So, she gets to go home, and I have to stay?"

Captain Browning chuckled. "Mitchell, we know how you are during murder investigations. You get this thousand-yard stare in your eyes and then you won't stop working until your body eventually gives out."

"I don't get like that." Mitchell lied. "I just want to make sure that no one else suffers."

"Uh-huh." Said Captain Browning. "Just make sure that you remember to get some sleep during this investigation. You're gonna need it."

Mitchell frowned as he watched Yates' dead body being placed into a black body bag.

"After seeing the state of his body, I doubt that I'll be getting any rest." Said Mitchell.

"Agreed." Replied the captain. "I'm about to head out to release the news about these two murders to the public."

"I thought that the Mayor didn't want to cause a panic." Said Mitchell.

"That was before Yates was found dead." Said the captain. "Now, he wants the city on wide alert."

Mitchell scoffed. "The mayor's an asshole. He's just trying to get reelected for another term and he figures that he can use the press and publicity from this case to further his cause."

"Maybe so, but at the end of the day, we still have a job to do, Mitchell." Said the captain. "I'll see you back at the station."

The captain left the apartment and Mitchell walked up to Crawford, tapping him on his shoulder. The tech turned around and greeted the veteran detective.

"Find anything?" Mitchell asked.

Crawford shook his head. "Nothing, really. I'll run some tests on the body when it's arrives at the lab, but from observing the body, single gunshot to the wound. Also, it's pretty obvious that Yates has been dead for some time. A few days at least."

"Speaking of which, what did you exactly find on the gloves from the crime scene?" inquired Mitchell.

Crawford fixed his glasses. "DNA from Yates. Some hairs, actually."

"You don't find that suspicious?" asked Mitchell. "How did gloves with Yates' DNA arrive at our crime scene when he was already dead?!"

Crawford's eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a minute- you're saying that these two murders are connected?!"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Mitchell. "I think that the same person who killed Hays killed Yates as well."

"So, are you saying what I think you're saying?" asked Crawford.

Mitchell nodded, "Yup. I think we got ourselves a serial killer."

Crawford's face soon had a grim expression on it. "Oh…shit."

"You said it, Pete."

* * *

**Squarepants Residence  
6:15 am**

Spongebob Squarepants yawned as he placed his empty coffee mug and plate into the sink. He reached down to adjust his red tie before he left the kitchen. He entered the living room and grabbed his green rain jacket, quickly putting it on. His snail, Gary entered the living room, carrying Spongebob's name tag in his mouth.

"Meow." Said Gary.

Spongebob glanced down and smiled. "Thanks, boy! What would I do without you?"

"Meow."

Spongebob's smile immediately turned into a frown. "No, Gary, he hasn't called me; and I don't expect to hear from him anytime soon."

"Meow."

Spongebob sighed. "Hey, I'm not the being petty! He started the whole argument!"

"Meow, Meow."

"I know that we've been best friends for years, but what he said was uncalled for!" exclaimed Spongebob. "And I really think that it's none of your business, Gary."

Gary rolled his eyes before meowed again.

"I'll be home before seven, Gar." Said Spongebob. He reached down and pet his snail. "Be good when I'm gone!"

Spongebob grabbed his house keys and opened the door. The dark grey skies and the endless onslaught of rain greeted him. As he closed the door and was locking it, a boat horn was heard. The yellow sponge turned around and spotted a boat slowly coming to a stop near his mailbox. Spongebob placed his keys in his pocket and rushed over to the boat. He quickly opened the door and hopped in, shutting the door hastily. Spongebob was greeted with the sight of Naomi Bowen behind the wheel. A grin formed upon his face.

"Hello, Detective Bowen." Said Spongebob. "Fancy seeing you here."

Naomi couldn't help but giggle a little bit. "Hello, Mr. Squarepants. What a coincidence running into you."

The two sponges broke out into laughter, wiping away a few tears from their eyes. Spongebob then leaned in and pressed his lips against Naomi. Naomi wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and eagerly opened her mouth, allowing for his tongue to dance with hers. A soft moan was heard from the two. A few more seconds passed before the two broke apart, slightly panting and blushing hard.

"Somebody missed me." Said Spongebob. He placed his seat belt on as Naomi pressed down on the gas pedal. The boat began to head down the street. Along the way, they spotted several parents rushing their kids onto the school buses to avoid the rain.

"You have no idea." chuckled Naomi. "You don't know how bad I didn't want to leave the bed this morning."

"I noticed. Took some 'convincing' to make you get up." Said Spongebob, winking at her.

Naomi rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm still holding you to that special dinner when you come home."

"You bet!" exclaimed Spongebob. "I all I need is to get a bottle of wine from Barg-N-Mart and a few other ingredients. Trust me when I say that your taste buds will be blown away!"

Naomi chuckled. "I will be looking forward to it. I could really use something to lift my spirits."

There was a few moments of silence before Spongebob cleared his throat.

"So, what happened this morning?" he asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

Naomi sighed. "Spongebob, I can't talk about it nor do I feel like talking about it."

Spongebob nodded. "Okay. It's just that you sounded stressed out on the phone. Heck, you look stressed now."

"It's just… I tell you when I see you tonight, okay?" she said.

Spongebob gave her a soft smile, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. The green sponge cheeks turned red, earning a chuckle from Spongebob.

"You know you're cute when you blush, right?"

Naomi chucked. "You know, you keep on being so damn sweet and I'll just have to turn this boat around. Mr. Krabs can make do without his best fry cook for one day."

"Hmm…that's pretty tempting, Detective." Said Spongebob, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "I'll think about it."

"You're such as dork."

* * *

**The Krusty Krab  
6:20 am**

"I'll see you tonight, Detective." Said Spongebob.

Naomi smiled. "And I'll be looking forward to it, Mr. Squarepants.

The two of them leaned in for a quick peck on the lips before Spongebob exited the boat. He quickly ran over to the front doors and entered. He waved at Naomi as she slowly drove off before he shook off his soaked jacket. The aromas of fresh coffee, eggs and other delicious breakfast smells filled Spongebob's nose as he glanced around the packed restaurant. Each table was full of customers who were happily eating their food while hungry customers were standing at a line at the new order counter. Three cashiers were busy taking people orders while two new cooks were briskly moving around in the kitchen to complete the orders.

"Hey, Greg.'' Said Spongebob to one of the cashiers, a grey fish with yellow strips, black eyes, short black hair and a pointed nose. "Squidward didn't show up yet?"

"Nah, bruh." Said Greg. "You know that miserable grumpy asshole doesn't show up on time during the morning rush."

His coworker, a red fish with white and blue spots, pink eyes and curly brown hair named Julie shook her head. "Greg don't cuss in front of the customers!" she scolded. "It's bad for business!"

"First of all, you've only been working here one week before I started, so that doesn't make you the boss of me." Said Greg.

"It kind of does." Said Spongebob.

"Second, you know it's true. Squidward Tentacles is a grade A asshole!" exclaimed Greg.

Just then, the sound of a door slamming open was heard to the right of the cashiers. Eugene Krabs stood in the doorway, glaring at Greg.

"Mr. Santos, what did I say about cursing in me goddamn restaurant in front of my customers?!" snapped Mr. Krabs.

"You hypocrite!" exclaimed Greg. "You just- "

"What's that sign say outside?" asked Mr. Krabs. "It says, 'The Krusty Krab'. This is my restaurant. I'll say whatever I want and do whatever I want because I pay the bills around here! And Spongebob, where the devil is Mr. Squidward?!"

"I don't know, sir." Said Spongebob. "I would call him, but I think that he blocked my number."

Mr. Krabs grumbled. "This is the fifth time in a row! If he wants to wait in the unemployment line- "

Right on cue, a soaked and clearly annoyed Squidward Tentacles entered the restaurant. He rudely shoved past some customers and entered the restrooms. Mr. Krabs rolled his eyes while Spongebob placed his Krusty Krab hat and name tag on before he entered the kitchen to avoid the potential argument between his long-time neighbor/coworker and his boss.

"Hey, Mr. Squarepants is here!" exclaimed Vincent, one of the new fry cooks. Vincent was a young teenager, with sea-green skin, light blue eyes and purple spiked hair. He was the newest crew member and Spongebob's new friend.

"Hey, Vince." Said Spongebob as he walked past the grill and headed to the other side of the kitchen to grab an apron and a pair of food prep gloves. "You guys been busy, huh?"

"No shit." Said the other cook; a short red lobster named Chase. He was the polar opposite of Vincent. While Vincent was basically as cheerful and friendly as his mentor Spongebob, Chase was just permanently grouchy, always complaining about the endless list of tasks and never knew how to smile. In, fact, Chase was probably the first person that Spongebob probably actually disliked.

Why Mr. Krabs hired him was one question that Spongebob couldn't figure out.

Spongebob walked over to Vince's station to inspect his work. "Hmm, pretty good. Make sure that you don't forget to add a small dipping cup of secret sauce to the burrito platter afterwards, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Squarepants!" said Vincent.

Chase rolled his eyes. "Teacher's pet."

Spongebob then walked over to Chase's station and slightly frowned his face. "Chase, you're supposed to add cheese to the Krabby Toast after you place the bacon. And have you been keeping an eye on the ovens? Cause last time you left four Krabby AM Pizza's on too long- "

"Damn, man!" shouted Chase. "Stop fucking sweating me! That shit happened one goddamn- "

"It was twice!" shouted Mr. Krabs as he burst into the room. "Twice you almost burned down me kitchen! And don't yell at me best employee again, unless you want me to fire you!"

"Go fuck yourself." Mumbled Chase under his breath.

Mr. Krabs stepped closer to the fish. "I'm sorry, boy. What was that? You got something to say, act like a man and speak up!"

Chase glared at Mr. Krabs, then at Spongebob before he sighed and went over to the ovens to check on the breakfast pizzas. Mr. Krabs silently nodded at Spongebob, who nodded back before walking over to the refrigerator to get some ingredients. As he closed the refrigerator, he rolled his eyes as Chase cursed as he burned his hand on the hot oven.

_'Jerk.'_ He thought.

Squidward came out of the bathroom about ten minutes later with his usual scowl on his face. He took his time walking over to the ordering counter, which earned him a few glares from customers, Greg and Mr. Krabs as he exited the kitchen.

"Mr. Squidward, you're late again!" he snapped. "You know perfectly well what time you're supposed to be walking through those doors!"

Squidward just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Grey and Janet can manage without me perfectly fine."

"It's Greg and Julie, asshole." Corrected Greg. Mr. Krabs shot him a glare.

"Listen, Squidward. I know that working here isn't fun, but I've got a business to run. If you don't wanna work here, then you're welcome to leave at any time." Said Mr. Krabs firmly. "There's plenty of people who are willing to work here."

Squidward just scowled. "You done, sir?"

Mr. Krabs sighed. 'This is going nowhere.' "For now. But I want to see you in me office after your shift is over."

"Whatever."

Mr. Krabs headed into his office, closing the door behind him. He plopped down into his seat behind his desk and let out a frustrated groan. Ever since he decided to make some changes to the Krusty Krab in order to bring in some more money, it felt like more problems came with it. He actually hired more employees, expanded the size of the restaurant for a bigger kitchen, restrooms, dining area and parking lot. Even the hours were now expanded. The Krusty Krab now opened at 5:00 am and closed at 9:00 pm every day of the week. There has been a massive increase in cash, especially after Spongebob's idea to introduce breakfast items to the menu. The only drawback was the new employees and Squidward. Squidward was lazy; that much Mr. Krabs had come to know. Along with several of the new employees, minus Vincent, Julie and a few overs. It was everyone wanted the money but didn't want to work for it!

Mr. Krabs leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on his desk as he turned on his small tv and turned to the morning news. He grabbed a stack of money to his right and began to count it as the news broadcast continued.

"-and in our top story this morning, we have confirmed reports of two grisly murders right here in our very own city! Perch Perkins is live at the scene of the 23 Maple Palm Apartments." Said the news woman. "Perch?"

Mr. Krabs stopped counting his money as his interest was caught.

"A murder, you say?" he said to himself.

The image on the TV changed to the news reporter standing outside of the apartment complex wearing a yellow rain poncho and holding a black umbrella as the rain continued. In the background, several police boats and police officers were seen.

"Thank you, Wendy. Perch Perkins here, reporting from the 23 Maple Palm Apartments in downtown Bikini Bottom, where the body of ex-felon Dominick Yates was found dead in his apartment from a gunshot wound. But the most disturbing find was the absence of his eyes. As you can see behind me, investigators are still searching the area for clues and are questioning everyone for information. As for the other murder, we go to Katrina Roman, who's live at the other crime scene. Katrina?"

The image changed to a tall, light blue octopus with long blonde hair and light blue eyes, wearing a black Bikini Bottom News raincoat and holding an umbrella as well.

"Thank you, Perch. Behind me, in the middle of this street, was the scene of a brutal murder. Earlier this morning, an anonymous 911 call lead officers to discover a teenager stabbed to death in the middle of the street. The victim has been identified as seventeen-year-old Adam Hays…"

Mr. Krabs dropped the money he was counting and just stared at the TV in shock.

_'Adam Hays is dead? Jesus, he was just here with his family just last week!'_

"Spongebob?!" called Mr. Krabs.

He abruptly stood up from his chair and exited his office, only to see that every TV in the restaurant was tuned to the news. All of the customers were staring at the TV in a state of amazement and shock. The only sound was coming from the news. Mr. Krabs glanced at the order counter and saw Squidward, Greg and Julie staring at the TV silently. Spongebob, Vincent and Chase were next to them, silent as a statue.

* * *

**Don's Fitness Gym  
6:40 am**

Sandy Cheeks, Larry The Lobster and Don The Whale stood among the crowd of morning fitness goers and stared at the TV screen as Mayor Sidney Stout, Captain Browning and Detective Mitchell stood inside of City Hall surrounded by dozens of reporters. Mayor Stout was large and overweight, with faded purple skin, a bushy white beard, balding white hair and black eyes. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie.

"My fellow citizens of this beloved city today is a day of sadness. Two of our citizens were brutally murdered by some foul fiend. I want everyone to know that this won't happen again. The BBPD is on the case and is working fast to find and arrest this coward so that he or she may face the consequences for their despicable actions! My office will be working alongside the police and I pledge to you that we will not, can not stop until we have justice!"

"Oh my god." Said Sandy. "This can't be happening."

"No kidding." Said Larry. "People don't get killed in Bikini Bottom. We don't have murderers!"

"Apparently so." Said Don. "Can't believe this shit is happening."

* * *

**Bikini Bottom Mall  
6:42 am**

"Kid? Kid, can you hear me?"

"Hey, someone call 911!"

"Give us some space! Back up!"

The massive crowd of shopping goers were surrounding the four people in the middle of the food court. Three of them were mall security while the last one was a teenage female whale with blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing a pink t shirt, blue jeans and white boots. She was lying on her back, unconscious. Her cell phone was still in her hand; the screen brightly lit and displaying the news about the murders.

"Hey, isn't that Mr. Krabs' daughter?" asked one teenager from the crowd.

"Yeah, I have her in my English class." Said another teenager. "What happened?"

* * *

**The Chum Bucket  
6:44 am**

"My god, some idiot in this shithole of a city finally snapped." Said Plankton casually. He just shrugged his shoulders and put back on his goggles as he turned back on the tiny blowtorch. His hands began to move expertly over the small metal canister.

"You are so heartless." Said Karen. "Two people were murdered; the first murders in years and you're not even a little bit curious?"

"Nope." Said Plankton. "Unless the killer is willing to help me steal the Krabby Patty secret formula, I don't really give a shit."

* * *

**Bikini Bottom Police Department  
6:55 am**

Crawford and Mitchell were in the lab, going over the surveillance footage Officer Keller retrieved from the pharmacy earlier. Crawford sat at his desk, typing away on the computer while Mitchell stood behind him, sipping on another cup of coffee. A few techs were moving about in the lab, trying to go over the evidence retrieved from Yates' apartment.

Mitchell sighed. "Crawford, you said that it was loading."

"It's loading, Mitchell. The cameras outside that pharmacy were super old, so it's gonna take a little longer- got it!"

Crawford left clicked on the mouse and a new window popped up on the screen. The video began to play and the two sat silently as they watched a few boats drive by the front of the pharmacy. About ten minutes passed before they spotted Adam Hays' boat drive past.

"There's Hays." Said Crawford.

The video continued until it ended, showing nothing else of interest. Especially not the van.

Mitchell frowned. "Is there any- "

"Yeah, there's a camera outside the back of the pharmacy. Hang on." Said Crawford.

He typed something, then clicked the mouse again. The first video vanished, and the second video popped up. It showed the back of the pharmacy, where a large black van was parked. Mitchell and Crawford's eyed widened immediately.

"Holy shit." Whispered Crawford.

Mitchell remained quiet as the video continued to play. The van remained motionless until they spotted a person wearing a black rain poncho casually walking over to the van. The person took out the van keys and unlocked it. Before getting in the van, the poncho person glanced at the camera before removing the hood. Before Mitchell and Crawford could blink, the person's face was blurred out, making it impossible to identify the person.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Crawford.

"Damn it!" growled Mitchell.

The two watched the person get into the van, start the engine and drive out of the camera's view. Crawford banged his head on his desk while Mitchell began to pace back and forth, his mind racing.

'_You knew we would check the cameras at the pharmacy, didn't you?! You wanted us to find this footage!'_

"Mitchell- "began Crawford.

'_You wanted to gloat because you knew what you was about to do!'_

"Mitchell!" shouted Crawford. "You better come take a look."

Mitchell glanced and saw Crawford pointing at the monitor. Six words popped up on the screen in white bold letters:

MAKE ME STOP, DETECTIVE JARED MITCHELL!

* * *

**Spongebob's Residence  
7:00 am**

Naomi yawned as she unlocked the front door to the pineapple and entered, closing the door behind her. She closed her umbrella and placed it next to the door, along with her shoes.

"Gary, I'm home!" she called.

She walked over to the recliner and collapsed into it. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she turned on the tv. The sound of the weather channel soon filled the living room. Naomi closed her eyes and began to feel herself drifting off when Gary jumped into her lap, meowing loudly.

"Jesus, Gary! You scared me!" exclaimed Naomi.

"Meow! Meow! Meow!" said Gary. He then jerked his eyes in the direction of the stairs.

Naomi glanced at the stairs, then back towards the snail, petting him gently.

"What's wrong, boy? You hungry?" she asked.

Gary motioned in the direction of the stairs again, this time with even more urgency. Naomi sighed, then picked up Gary and began to walk in the direction of the stairs.

"Is it your litter box full?" asked Naomi.

Gary shook his head and began to growl and hiss as the two of them reached the bottom of the stairs.

That's when realization hit Naomi.

She immediately placed Gary on the ground and whispered to him, "Stay here."

She then reached onto her side and withdrew her pistol, taking the safety off and aiming the weapon upwards towards the top of the stairs.

'_Okay…you can do this, Naomi.'_ She thought.

The detective slowly ascended up the stairs with extreme caution. Her breathing was slow and steady with each silent step. As she reached the top of the stairs, she slowly pushed the bathroom door open and entered it. She instantly swung her weapon to the left and checked behind the door, then moved the shower curtain out of the way, seeing no one.

_'Bathroom clear.'_ She thought. _'Onto our bedroom.'_

Naomi exited the bathroom and entered the bedroom, spotting Gary on the king-sized bed. As Naomi opened her mouth to scold the snail for not staying downstairs, Gary motioned towards the closet door. Her eyes fell upon the ajar door, along with a pair of wet footprints that led from the bedroom window and into the closet.

Naomi carefully opened the closet door and spotted the door to Spongebob's library was wide open. She glanced through the door and saw that the lights were on. She glanced at the slide that was in the library and could see fresh rain and some dirt on it.

Somebody had used it recently.

_'Here goes nothing.'_ Thought Naomi.

She quickly slid down the slide, then stood up and aimed her weapon around the library, searching for the intruder. Her eyes frantically searched the place but came up empty. There was no one there.

Naomi sighed before she took out her cell phone and dialed Mitchell's number. After a few rings, he answered.

"Mitchell, I need you to send a unit out to 124 Conch Street. Yeah, Spongebob Squarepants' house. I think there's been a burglary." She said. "I'm already on scene and- "

Her gaze fell upon noticing a book was left open on a long, wooden brown table. She walked closer and saw that it was a yearbook picture of Spongebob from high school, along with the rest of his graduating class. She briefly flipped through the pages and eventually stopped on one picture of Spongebob posing with a short fish with faded orange skin, teal eyes, a grey beard and gray spiked hair. The fish was wearing a brown t-shirt that said I LOVE TEACHING in the middle and white pants. At the bottom of the picture it said, 'Spongebob Squarepants and Mr. Bobby Ratner.'

But what stood out was the red marker that was circled around Mr. Ratner's head and the chilling words that were next to it:

NUMBER 5'S CLOCK IS TICKING! STOP ME DETECTIVE NAOMI BOWEN!

**A/N: Read and Review!**


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